Compact bearing with axially aligned bearing means



Se t. 6, 1949. v, PALUMBO 2,481,146

COMPACT BEARING WITH AXIALLY ALIGNED BEARING ME Filed June 12, 194

& 1/7 450 2) y #4 1/6 J i Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPACT BEARING WITH AXIALLY ALIGNED BEARING MEANS Vincent Edward Palumbo, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 16 Claims. 1

and bearing in a definite given position and where a multiple bearin action is provided in a radially limited space.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, compact, efficient bearmg.

A further obj ect. of the invention is to distribute the load. carried by a bearing onto two portions of the hearing which are not in the same horizontal portion of the bearing, when the bearing is positioned as shown in the drawings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bearing which'is adapted to have relatively even wear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a special multiple bearing which is adapted to use conventional bearing units.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention Will be made apparent as the specification proceeds.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bearing embodying the principles of the invention showin it positioned on a shaft;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views, corresponding to Figs. land 2, of a modification of the invention.

Throughout the specification and drawings, corresponding reference numerals will be used to refer to the same parts of the bearing of the invention.

Attention should now be had to the details of the structure shown in the drawing and a bearing indicatedgenerallyby the numeral It! is provided, which bearing is in engagement with a shaft II. The bearing 10 in general comprises a housing or sleeve l2. which is provided with an inwardly turned, or overhanging and inwardly turned, end portion that includes a radially directed end wall l3 having an axially inwardly extending cylindrical portion M. In order to transmit load forces to opposite sides, of the bearing of the invention,

an. annular member i5, which is substantially Zeshaped; in' radial section, is provided and is positioned inside of the sleeve l2. The annular member. I5 is provided with an inner leg IS, an outerleg If! and a connecting leg [8 with the legs I6 and l-libeingcylindrioal and extending parallel to the shaft l l whereas the connecting leg I8 extends radially of the bearing. Hence the inner and outer legs l6 and I1, respectively, are offset axially, of; the bearing and the outer leg extends into the overhanging end portion of the sleeve I2, asbest shown-in Fig. 2. This drawing also shows that the radially. outer surface of the outer leg I! is slightly smaller in diameter than the inner circumference of the sleeve l2. Also, it should be notedthat the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion l4 is-slightly-larger than the outer diameter of the shaft: I1 so that the sleeve I2 is out of contactwithithe shaft whereas the annular member I5. is free from and out of contact with the sleeve [2; Thusbearing means can be provided intermediate the inner and outer legs of the member: l5land theportion of the sleeve [2 spaced therefrom so that a pair of axially aligned bearing members can, be formed in the bearing and with opposite portions of the bearing being stressed by loadapplied thereto.

Fig. 2shows that conventional bearing rings l9 and H are positioned in the bearing Ill. The bearing rings I9 and 2| include inner and outer racesiwith. conventional ball bearings, or other equivalent.- members, positioned therebetween. These ringssare assembled as a unit in accordance with-conventionalpractice and the ring I9 is positionedbetween the radially outer surface of the inner leg 16, and theradially inner surface of the sleeve.- I2; Normally a spacer ring 22 is fixedly secured to the inner surface of the sleeve 12 in the plane of the bearing ring I!) so that the outer bearing race of such ring will be integral with regard to. the sleevelZ. Likewise, the inner bearing raceof the ring i9 is in fixed association with the inner leg l6-of the member l5. The bearing ring..2l is positioned in a similar manner with the outer. bearing race being integral with the outer leg I21. andthe inner bearin race being fixedly secured tothe radially outer surface of the cylindricalzportion IA of; the sleeve 12. The bearing rings 19 and 2| can be secured in these positions by press fits;v or any other conventional means.

Normally the hearing :3 will have an outer supportpositioned tightly therearound and it will be seen that compressive or downward forces exerted by. theshaft U .will be carried through a bearing element'23 down throughthe bearing ring l'9..to

the sleeve l2 and its associated support whereas such downward force exerted upon the inner leg l6 of the member l5 will force the outer leg I! downwardly against the bearing ring 2] and transmit compressive force through a bearing element 24 to the inner and upper surface of the cylindrical portion M of the sleeve. Hence more uniform operating and wear conditions will be maintained by the bearin l and accurate posi tioning of the shaft H is made possible.

The modification of the bearing of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4-. includes a bearing generally indicated by the numeral Hill. This bearing is of a substantially similar construction to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 only in this instance an annular member H5, which is provided, and which is of substantially Z-shape in section, actually form part of the bearing rings of the device and conventional bearing rings cannot be used in the structure. This construction eliminates some of the parts of the bearing H] and permits a smaller diameter bearing to take the same loads as could be carried by a larger bearing of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A sleeve H2 of the same general structure as the sleeve l2, together with a cylinder portion H4 and a spacer I22 are also provided in the bearing Hill. Thus bearing elements I30 can be positioned between the spacer ring I22 and an inner leg H6 of the member H and between an outer leg I I1 and the cylindrical portion H4, as shown.

It will be seen that the special type of a bearing sleeve provided by the invention permits the use of two axially aligned bearing elements in a limited radial space. Furthermore, the constructions of the invention provide for the transmission of forces to diametrically opposed sections of the bearing sleeve since the overhanging, axially inwardly directed section of the bearing sleeve will carry a force at the upper portion of the bearing whereas a straight compressive bearing action will be transmitted downwardly through a bearing element, such as the bearing l9 onto the inner surface of the lower portion of the bearing sleeve I2, of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Offset as used in the specification and claims may be taken to mean that the radially spaced but axially directed portions of the Z- shaped members IE or H5 are merely positioned in different axial portions of the hearing so that actually these legs of such members may partially overlap axially but are provided with portions that protrude axially from the other leg of the member. Furthermore, it will be realized that these members E5 or H5 may be used as actually part of the bearings containing structure themselves or else they may merely serve as supports for bearing units which may or may not be of conventional construction.

It should be noted that any type of a bearing unit may be used with the bearing of the invention and that such bearing units may be, for example, of the roller, anti-friction or sleeve type.

While several complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particular embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bearing comprising a sleeve member having a radially inwardly turned end section with an axially extending cylindrical inwardly directed portion formed thereon, an annular member of substantially Z-shape in radial section received within said sleeve member and having radially inner and outer legs, the radially inner and outer legs of said annular member being axially offset with the radially outer leg being positioned within the cylindrical portion of the end section of said sleeve member and lying immediately adjacent the radially inner surface of said sleeve member, and bearing means positioned between the radially outer surface of the radially inner leg of said annular member and the radially inner surface of said sleeve member, and between the radially inner surface of the radially outer leg of said annular member and the radially outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the end section of said sleeve member.

2. A bearing as in claim 1 wherein the inner diameter of the end portion of said sleeve is larger than the inner diameter of said annular member and the outer diameter of said annular member is smaller than the inner diameter of said sleeve.

3. A bearing as in claim 1 wherein said annular member forms a part of the bearing means.

4. A bearing as in claim 1 wherein said bearing means comprise two standard bearings positioned in lateral alignment in the bearing of the invention.

5. A bearing comprising a sleeve member having a radially inwardly turned end section with an axially extending cylindrical inwardly directed portion formed thereon, an annular member of substantially Z-shape in radial section received within said sleeve member, said annular member having radially inner and outer leg portions and being axially offset with the radially outer leg portion being positioned within the cylindrical portion of the end section of said sleeve member and lying immediately adjacent the radially inner surface of said sleeve member, a spacer ring positioned within said sleeve member and encompassing the inner leg of said annular member, and ball bearing means positioned between the radially outer surface of the radially inner portion of said annular member and the radially inner surface of said spacer ring, and between the radially inner surface of the radially outer leg of said annular member and the radially outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the end section of said sleeve member.

6. A bearing wherein a bearing sleeve has an overhanging and inwardly turned end portion, a substantially Z-shaped in radial section annular member with the inner and. outer legs being offset and with the outer leg extending into the overhanging end of said sleeve, and bearing means positioned between .the inner and outer legs of said member and said sleeve to form two axially spaced bearing portions, one bearing means being intermediate the radially outer surface of the inner leg and said sleeve and the other bearing means being between the radially inner surface of said outer leg and the overhanging end of said sleeve.

7. A bearing wherein a bearing sleeve has an overhanging and inwardly turned end portion, a substantially Z-shaped in radial section annular member with the inner and outer legs being axially offset and with the outer leg extending into the overhanging end of said sleeve, and bearing means positioned between the inner and outer legs of said member and said sleeve to form two axially spaced bearing portions that carry load at diametrically opposed areas.

8. A bearing as in claim 7 wherein said annular member has a center leg which extends radially of the bearing and with the inner and outer legs being formed at the ends of the center leg.

9. A bearing as in claim 7 wherein said annular member distributes load onto two diametrically opposed portions of the bearing.

10. A bearing as in claim 7 wherein the inner diameter of the end portion of said sleeve is larger than the inner diameter of said annular member and the outer diameter of said annular member is larger than the inner diameter of said sleeve.

11. A bearing wherein a bearing sleeve has an overhanging and inwardly turned end portion, the inwardly turned section of said end portion being axially directed and being radially spaced appreciably from the inner surface of said sleeve, a substantially Z-shaped in radial section annular member with the inner and outer legs being offset and with the outer leg extending into the overhanging end of said sleeve, and hearing means positioned between the inner and outer legs of said member and said sleeve to form two axially spaced bearing portions, one bearing means being intermediate the radially outer surface of the inner leg and said sleeve and the other bearing means being between the radially inner surface of said outer leg and the overhanging end of said sleeve.

12. A bearing as in claim 7 wherein said annular member is a support member and said bearing means are separate units.

13. A bearing as in claim 7 wherein said annular member directly supports bearing elements of said bearing means.

14. A bearing wherein a bearing sleeve has an overhanging and inwardly turned end portion,

the inwardly turned section of said end portion being axially directed and being radially spaced appreciably from the inner surface of said sleeve, a substantially Z-shaped in radial section annular member with the inner and outer legs being axially and radially offset and with the one of the legs extending into the overhanging end of said sleeve, and bearing means positioned between the inner and outer legs of said member and said sleeve to form two axially spaced hearing portions, one bearing means being intermediate the radially outer surface of the inner leg and said sleeve and the other bearing means being between the radially inner surface of said outer leg and another portion of said sleeve.

15. A bearing as in claim 14 wherein a spacer member is associated with said bearing sleeve intermediate same and one leg Of said annular member to complete the bearing.

16. A hearing comprising a bearing sleeve having an overhanging and axially inwardly turned end portion substantially parallel to the bore of sleeve, a substantially Z-shaped in radial section annular member having radially inner and outer legs which are axially offset, one leg of said member extending intermediate said sleeve and the overhanging portion thereof and the other leg of said member axially overlapping another :portion of said sleeve, and bearing means positioned intermediate the radially inner surface of one leg of said member and one portion of said sleeve and the radially outer portion of the other leg of said member and another portion of said sleeve.

VINCENT EDWARD PALUMBO.

No references cited. 

